Inevitable (Mcroll)
by Zheth22
Summary: Set after 8.20 - what would of happened if Catherine and Steve got more of a chance to catch up
1. chapter 1

Closing the door to her hotel room Catherine looks around at her single bag... getting angry with herself, shes 38 years old and that's what she has to show for her life, a single bag... and a shit load of emotional baggage.

She really thought that a year after seeing him in Morocco, hearing about the proposal, she could come back and it wouldn't hurt as much, knowing he had moved on and that she was trying too she thought she could just work alongside him again, be friends. "Friends" she said out loud as if to convince herself. They had never really been friends she thought wryly laughing to herself. Yes they pretended back in the early days, she had just started at the academy 18 years ago when she met Steve, but that had quickly progressed to "diner".

So here she was packing up to leave Hawaii again, what was it about Hawaii that made her want to stay... she had never in her whole life stayed still, growing up a navy brat then progressing in the Navy, but here she was finding it hard to leave, imagining a life here where she could put down roots, kicking her bag, she berates herself "you had that and you gave it up so get on the damn plane". Angrily wiping a tear from her cheek she sighs and sits on the bed just letting them fall, knowing in her quest to find something she has just kept running, running from the uncertainty of a life with Steve, from friends, she wasn't kidding earlier when she had told Steve that her life consisted of assets and sources.

God Steve even got a bloody dog, how out of the two of them was he the one to sort his life out, she was always the one to clam him down when he had nightmares, now she was just living from assignment to assignment, terrorist to terrorist, and for what... she knows she has to stop this line of thinking because if she loses the fight in her then she really would have nothing.

Taking a deep breath and giving her face a wipe she stands up, ready to put the mask back on and get back to it.

There is a knock on the door of her hotel room, without thinking she opens the door and there he is.

How after all the years can he still affect her so much. Like a freight train hitting her heart. "Steve"

"Hey Cath, sorry to just stop by but I just wanted to catch you before you left, just to say I'm glad you reached out and came to 5-0 for help"

He gave her one of his gentle smiles and she found her mask slipping, she gave him a soft smile back and said "of course" then aware they were both awkwardly standing in the door way, she gestured "umm did you want to come in" neither of them sure what to do Steve nodded and walked past her. As Catherine shut the door she muttered to herself "what am I doing".

As she walked back into the room turning to look at Steve he realised for the first time that she looked upset, like she had been crying "hey, what's wrong, are you ok?" "I'm fine" Not believing her her reached out his hand to her cheek slowly caressing and rubbing away the tears. Then in a way that only happens when he looks into her brown eyes everything else around seems to disappear. She still has that affect on him after all these years.

Then she's up against the wall, he's kissing her as if his life depends on her, she is kissing him back harder, they have thought about this kiss since she got in the car 18 months ago. The passion hasn't gone away, it's intensified if anything. She has her legs around him, her hands caressing the back of his head, his massaging her arse, holding her close to him he moves her to the bed, frantically removing clothes her matching his pace, their need to be close, together as one being escalates.

"Wow" he rolls off her giving her a smile he doesn't realise he reserves only for her. "Wow" she mirrors his reaction and rolls over so they are lying looking at each other side by side. The smile she gives him both mends and breaks his heart at the same time. They have no idea what they are doing but the content smiles allow him to reach over and start off a slow kiss. "Inevitable" she mutters. "What's that?" "Me and you, we just feel inevitable" he smiles that she still feels that pull too. He reaches over and this time it's slow and loving, he knows she loves the hard and fast of earlier but just making love seemed right too in that moment.

She can feel the moment he puts his guard back on, he stiffens, no one but her would be able to recognise it, but she knows, she knows she should put hers back on too, but after two years of loneliness she can't bring herself to let him go just yet. "Just stay" she murmurs and cuddles in closer "let's just pretend for a little bit longer". She knows when he gets her, knows that he understands she's not giving him any promises, that she's not asking for anything from him either, but that everything always feels right when they are together in each other's arms like that. He pulls her in a little tighter and waits until she's fallen asleep before he finally shuts his eyes too.

When he wakes he can feel her watching him, "morning Lieutenant" "morning commander" he gives her a small peck on the mouth and with a sad smile asks "what times your flight?" "Soon". Steve gives a sad nod and Catherine says "I'm going to take a shower. Aloha Steve" realising there will be no big goodbye this time Steve reaches over and kisses her forehead. "Aloha Catherine". She can't resist one last look before she shuts the bathroom door not knowing when she will see him again.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Steve placed the six pack of Longboards down on the sand by the chair overlooking the ocean, watching as Eddie played in the shallow surf. Letting out a sigh, it had been a long day helping Junior move the last bits of his stuff into his apartment. Kicking up a bit of the sand and looking into the distance, he would only admit to himself that he had got use to Junior living here, the house seeming that little bit less lonely. If he was being honest he hadn't been able to quite find his equilibrium since the night with Catherine a couple of months ago, and then there was the op to rescue Joe. The conversation with Joe about Catherine and his dad had been playing on his mind and with Junior moving out he knows he is going to have even more time to think about the past.

 _Flashback 2000_

 _Getting off the plane in Coronado Steve's whole body ached. But he was thankful that Joe had saved him and he was still alive. Since Joe had made him promise to call his dad and ask Catherine out he had thought of nothing else. Grabbing his pack and going over to his small room on base he slightly favoured one side._

 _"_ _Steve" hearing someone running up behind him he turns just before he gets to the small complex. A smile graces his face and his body immediately feels lighter seeing her in her full cammo's. "I heard you were hurt, sorry I tried to be there when the plane landed, but then the admiral asked for some info and I got caught up, how are feeling, should you be up and about?" "Rollins breathe, I'm fine" he said with a smile interrupting her. "I am" responding to her sceptical look with a cheesy smile "I will even let you do a full body check if you want" She relaxed at his banter, hoping that if he felt well enough to play with her he must be ok "you wish" she responded laughing. Looking away to open his door he remembered his promise to Joe about asking her to dinner and yes, he really wouldn't mind a full body check. He casually put out there as he wasn't sure what she would say and he wanted to be able to play it off if she said no "I need to wash about two weeks' worth of jungle and hospital off me but we could grab some Indian food later if you fancy it?"_

 _Catherine wasn't sure what to make of that request, they had been friends for a while now, spending time together when they were in the same place, usually eating in the mess hall or grabbing beers off base, sometimes just the two of them other times with the SEAL teams or her colleagues if they were around. She hesitated biting her lip, did he mean like a date or did he just really fancy a Curry and beer after everything he had been through. Whilst they had a connection neither of them had acted to make it anything more than friendship. Catherine didn't know what to do, she was a Navy brat, she made friends easily from years of starting again but had very few close friends, she really didn't want to lose what her and Steve have, but then again her heart had raced when he had joked about her giving him a full body check earlier on. Interrupting the back and forth in her mind "Or Italian if you don't like Indian food?" "I like Indian food" Catherine responded before she could stop herself. Smiling at her he nodded "I'll make a reservation and be over to your lodgings for 19 hundred hours Lieutenant" with a mock salute and smile Catherine left Steve to have his shower._

 _Catherine wasn't the type of girl that normally took this long getting ready for dates, well the ones that were few and far between, to be honest she didn't have a lot of spare time between being promoted to Lieutenant and with her and Steve both being based out of Coronado for the last few months they tended to hang out when she wasn't working. Having done her hair and makeup she now still couldn't decide if this was a date or not. Looking between her jeans or a new emerald dress she recently picked up when on shore leave in the Middle East. She didn't want to embarrass herself if this wasn't a date but she was always in jeans when she wasn't in uniform so maybe she should make more effort, then he might notice her in that way. She shook her head, gosh she didn't even know if she wanted him to look at her in that way. Laughing at herself, of course she did, he was Commander Steve McGarrett and every girl on base wanted him to notice her. Grabbing the dress she made the decision, she could always laugh it off by saying its new and she doesn't get a chance to dress up often if he asked why she was so dressed up. Putting it on she noticed it was slightly more revealing then she had thought but with a knock on the door she didn't have a chance to lose confidence and change._

 _"_ _Wow" Catherine smiled at Steve's inability to form any more words and enjoying the look on his face, which was the response she was hoping for and she was pleased to see that Steve was in a smart baby blue shirt and smart jeans, even if he did still have the sleeves rolled up in his signature look so you could still catch a glimpse of his tattoos. "You like?" she did a mock twirl laughing as she grabbed her bag from the bed. Turning back around Steve was right in front of her, her small apartment having just the one room other than her tiny bathroom. Being that close to each other the energy in the room changed, Steve put his hands either side of her hips stilling her and they locked eyes. Both of them knowing this is what they wanted even if they had been denying it to everyone that had asked. It was Steve who lent down to kiss her, soft but full of desire. He pulled away gently and smiled at her, checking she was ok with his kiss. She smiled reassuringly at him "so are we really doing this?" Her bright smile gave him the confidence to respond with "were really doing this" and lent in for a second kiss._

 _Later that evening Catherine chuckles "I really did want Indian you know" lying naked facing each other smiling Steve leans in for another kiss "and I really did make reservations but I don't think we could of done that in the restaurant". Catherine now took the time to check his body and his wounds, lazily tracing them with her fingers to reassure herself that he was ok, this was real and the two of them had really just had sex. Happy and content she put her head back down on his chest and listened to his heart beating. "Cath, I really did want to take you to dinner, I don't want you to think…"silencing his with a kiss she reassures him they are on the same page "Commander, we've been doing the talking and dinner thing for too long, we've got pretty good at it , I think its ok to focus on getting good at the sex thing for a while" with that Steve flipped her over so she was lying underneath him, "you didn't think that was good, well lieutenant we will need to keep practicing"._

 _Waking up beside Catherine Steve couldn't help but smile, he couldn't remember when he had last felt this relaxed, maybe not ever. Running his hand down her arms as she lay with her head on his chest he pulled her in a little closer and put a kiss onto the top of her head. Giving him a kiss good morning she kept her head up and enquired gently "what made you decide to make your move? Dinner, the kiss?" Steve gave her another kiss then tucked her head back down so she wasn't looking at him anymore. He wanted to be more open with her without being too exposed, he enjoyed having someone to share with and had always found himself eager to get her input so he began to talk "Sargent White, Joe, um, things went south pretty quick on this last op and it was just me and him for a while, I wasn't in good shape, any other CO and they would of left me, he should of, but Joe and my dad… he's like an uncle to me, father figure I guess at this point, I know him better than my own damn father. Any way, he said I was going to get out of this and when I did I had to finally ask you out, obviously wasn't doing as good a job as getting people to think we were just friends as I thought if even he could tell" smiling Catherine leaned up for another kiss "I pleased you're ok and you kept your promise" smiling Steve responded "it's working out so far"_

 _Liking this side of Steve and how natural it felt to be with him like this Catherine cuddled in closer and stole a few more kisses, sensing that Steve wasn't quite finished but not knowing what he was thinking she pulled back and gestured for him to continue. "He err wants me to go see my dad too, in um, Hawaii, I haven't been back since I was 16, Dads been over to the mainland a few times when I was younger but not for the last six, maybe seven years." Sensing Steve's inner turmoil that he usually hid well Catherine was surprised at how open he was being, she knew he shared with her more than one else but even then she knew very little about his family history other than his mum had died and he went to the military school before Annapolis. For Steve having Cath near him always calmed him, he felt more centred around her which is why he had struck up the friendship with the intelligence officer in the first place. She had impressed him not only with her skills but with her approach and the easy banter that they had fallen into, he sought her out in the mess hall and the gym and soon they were having drinks and spending their down time together._

 _His heart beat was still too fast and his whole body tense, wanting to ease some of his struggle in the only way she could think of she offered "I could come with you? I'm due some R &R and you could show me round Oahu from a local's perspective? You do keep saying you're going to teach me to surf" She really did blow him away knowing exactly the right thing to say, holding her tighter he smiled gratefully "yeah we could do that" Catherine could feel the switch and that Steve had ended that conversation but she was happy knowing he had opened up and she had put the offer out there. _

Present Day

Shutting off the thoughts of him and Catherine's first few months as a 'thing' he sighed and opened his third beer. Now they were officially just friends, or whatever the mess he had made by going to her hotel room could be described as. He couldn't quite bring himself to regret staying the night, he knew deep down he was still in love with her and probably always would be. It was the best couple of days he had had in a while trekking with her on the op and just having her back in his arms for the night. He knew he had ended it, or she had depending on which way you looked at it but he just didn't see himself ever being in love with someone like he loved her. That was probably why he had spent the last couple of months avoiding Lynn. He had been out for lunch with her a few times since Catherine had come back but kept telling her he was busy with the restaurant and work, but the truth was he knew he should feel guiltier than he did for sleeping with Catherine. In truth it still felt more like he was cheating on Catherine with Lynn which he knew was ridiculous given that he didn't even know where Cath was right now or if she would ever come back. He needed to man up and end things with Lynn but then he would have Danny and the team on at him again to date and he knew now that no one was ever going to match up to Catherine so he had taken the easy route with Lynn which he was angry with himself for doing, it really wasn't his style.

He had hidden the emotion that seeing Catherine again had created well. Danny was surprised Cath had come back and Steve gave him the story about how they are friends now, that she's even dating. He didn't mention him going to her hotel room as Steve himself didn't even understand why he had or what it meant and he really didn't need Danny's even well-meaning commentary on how it was a mistake. So here he was, sitting in his garden drinking beers alone trying to drink away the pain that her departure always bought. Eddie came and sat by him looking up with sad eyes, "I know boy it's just you and me"


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Sighing as he walked through the front door into the empty house Steve was exhausted from finishing up his latest case and hadn't been home in over 48 hours. Heading straight to the fridge he grabbed a cool beer. Out of the corner of his eye he could see someone on his beach, instinctively his hand we straight for his gun which was still holstered and he made his way out of the back onto the lanai.

It was then that his heart skipped a beat, even sat on the sand facing the sunset he would know her anywhere. Her dark hair was blowing in the wind and the silhouette of her body took his breathe away.

Leaving his gun and beer on the table he walks down to her sat just to the left of the chairs.

"Hi" he says startling her out of her thoughts, she was normally as aware as him so he was surprised he had gotten all the way to her without her noticing.

She was shocked to see him there in front on her, standing she looked at him before bursting into tears. It had been three months since they had last seen each other, and she had been thinking of what to say to him for the last three weeks. Getting more and more upset Steve put an arm around her and pulled her into his chest. Placing a gentle kiss onto the top of her head he gentle whispered "hey".

Stepping back she blurts out "I'm pregnant. It's yours I swear. I'm so sorry I didn't plan this I promise. I'm so sorry I've messed up your life again Steve" Catherine was now crying even harder. Mentally she was cursing herself, she had been planning this moment doing everything she could to finish up her op to get back to Hawaii to tell him for weeks then she just blurted it out. She was so worried about ruining his life again, she knew he was with Lynn and whilst the thought caused such an ache in her heart if he was happy she didn't want to cause him pain again. Before Steve could react she followed her initial statement "I want it, our baby. You don't have to be a part of it if you don't want I just wanted you to know. I would never keep you from our baby if you do want to be a part of it but I know you never wanted all this with me. I'm just so sorry I messed your life up again by coming home last time"

Steve was trying to process what was she was saying. Holding her tight calmed him like she always did. What she was saying was going through his mind, pregnant, our baby, coming home... Steve smiled, not his normal smile but an all of my dreams have come true smile. He cupped her face with both hands still smiling and whispered "inevitable" kissing her a gentle peck on the lips and wiping her tears he whispers again "I want it, it's what I've always wanted" a lone tear slips down Steve's face and he rests his forehead onto hers.

He moves them over to the chairs and sits her on his lap so they can look out at the sunset. Sitting in a comfortable silence gives them both time to reflect. Catherine feels herself starting to relax. She knew deep down things would be ok and Steve would be there for the baby even if he didn't want her but so much has changed between them in the last few years she hadn't been able to stop herself worrying. She loved how tight he was holding onto her right now, he just had this way of making her feel safe and that everything was going to be ok.

Steve was still smiling like the cat that got the cream but then his insecurities started to kick in. He had everything he had ever dreamed of in his arms right now. He knew he was as much to blame as she was when she left after Kono's wedding, he'd only ever told her he loved her once on the phone when she was in Afghanistan and if their conversation last time when she questioned if he was really was going to propose was anything to go by she really had no clue how deep his feeling for her were, or still are. "I would of said yes" those words had haunted him every night for months after he got back from Morocco. He realised as he held her that he didn't want to lose her again. He wanted the baby, their baby, but he wanted it all, them to be a family, to sit and watch their son or daughter playing in the water the three of them growing together in this house. He had only found out a few minutes ago he was going to be a father but the love and need to be a dad hit him so hard it nearly took his breathe away. He wouldn't let her go again he resolved. He couldn't. He realised he had to step up and fight for them, fight for her, convince her that him, their family is enough. She has to stay.

He'd gone quiet, it worried Catherine and she could see he was thinking, panicking. She stiffened, what if this was where he asked her to leave, told her she really had messed up his life.

"Cath, Marry me?"


	4. Chapter 4

**Thank you for all your kind reviews- I've been reading fanfiction for a while and I didn't realise how much it meant to get reviews until I started writing this!**

Steve took her breathe away, that was the last thing she thought he would say. She was expecting him to yell, or be shocked. Not knowing what to say she panicked "Steve you don't have to just because of the baby, you have a girlfriend and I think we have had enough revelations today without adding in a proposal you haven't had time to think about."

Steve was disappointed she hadn't said yes, but he also realised she hadn't said no. Knowing Catherine like he did, she was more like him than people realised, everyone always thought it was him that had kept things casual for all the years she was his "not-girlfriend" but he knew Cath was just as bad as he was with big declarations and if she was boxed into an emotional corner she would take flight. So Steve embraced this new bravery news of the baby had given him and cupped her belly with one hand. "I am in love with you Cath, I always have been, with or without the baby you're it for me. I love you"

Tears springing to Catherine eyes, looking at Steve she saw just how devoted to her he was, reaching up she gave him a soft kiss that she hoped he realised how much him asking her to marry him and telling her he loved her meant. "I've always loved you too Sailor" he smiled at the use of his nickname he had always loved. Even more so when she asked "hey, do me a favour" after giving a small chuckle as that was normally his line he responded with a quick kiss, well because she was here with him and he could, and he said "anything". She smiled and shyly said "ask me again sometime?" knowing she wasn't saying no felt good and Steve pulled her in closer and placed a loving kiss on the top of her head.

They sat in silence for a few minutes enjoying being together watching the sun set. When Steve asked "so what happens now?" Catherine didn't know if he meant now, tonight, or about them or about the baby so she just took the easy route "I've booked an appointment with a doctor at Tripler at 9am tomorrow if you want to come with me?"

"Yes I'd love that. Have you had a scan? Is it a boy or a girl? When did you find out?"

Catherine turned in the seat to face him a little more. "I was on an op on the Afghanistan-Pakistan boarder so no I havn't had a scan, not too many doctors out there. I havn't really been sick at all, was just getting really tired, then I realised I'd skipped my last two periods. I'm sorry Steve I wasn't on the pill as I wasn't with anyone and it was just too hard to keep getting it renewed being all over the place and there wasn't really any point. I didn't think about it when we were together, I really didn't come back to Hawaii thinking we would have sex and it was just so natural being with you that I didn't even think about it, I was a bit of a mess for a while missing you again when I left so I didn't think about it, when I realised, it took me two weeks to get somewhere to pick up a test and it then took me another three weeks to get out of my op to fly here to tell you."

Giving her a cuddle to reassure her as she still seemed worried about his reaction he lightened the mood and asked with a scheming smile "you want to know a secret?" the flip to his light hearted mood confused her but she went with it "always" he shifted to being more serious "I'm pleased we didn't use anything and this happened" loving how open he was being she smiled at him "me too".

Again they lapsed into silence before Steve built up the courage to ask "earlier you called Hawaii home, would you think about making it home again?" Steve held his breathe awaiting her answer, he knew he had phrased it as Hawaii but really this was the big question, would she stay with him.

"Yes that's the plan, I've been working on getting out of the CIA since I found out, I have to go to Washington for debriefing in 5 days which might take about a month but then I am free, unemployed and knocked up but free and I'll be back on the island full time."

Not wanting to make an issue of how disappointed he was to hear she would be gone for a month he just focused on the five days. "So I have you here for five days, lets go away, after the appointment tomorrow. Just me and you, no CIA, no Five-0, no phones just lets have fun, talk, maybe even figure out a strategy for what kind of mummy and daddies we are going to be?" laughing at how absurd thinking about her and Steve as a 'mummy and daddy' was Catherine gave Steve a slow kiss and was actually excited, Steve had never suggested taking five days away just for them before, especially not suggesting no phones. "sounds perfect, we could hike up and camp at some of the old trails you and your dad use to do"

Even more excited Steve quickly agreed before thinking about how he had gone with Lynn to the fancy spa and Steve really wanted to treat Catherine right this time and she was pregnant now so maybe she shouldn't be camping. "would it be better for the baby if we went to Maui – we could go to a spa?" Laughing Catherine responded "the baby will be fine, i'm not even really showing and I was sleeping in a cave for the first month of its life, plus what would we do in a spa, get facials and do yoga, its not really our kind of thing". Smiling Steve agreed and it made him realise how right this felt compared to anything, facials and yoga included, that he had done with Lynn.

The sun had now set and Steve could feel the last 48 hours catching up on him and could see that Catherine was nearly asleep in his arms. "Have you had dinner?" Steve asked whilst Catherine lazily replied, "Dinner or 'Dinner' " with an insinuating lift of the eyebrow. Chuckling Steve responded with "actual dinner dinner, food, but I have missed your dirty mind, come on ill whip up an omelette for us both". Smiling as they walked back up to the lanai with his arm around her he realised just how much he had missed their easy banter. Grabbing her bag he now spotted by the door he took her inside, letting in Eddie who had been roaming around outside too. Sharing the omelette Steve then asked "will you stay?" uncertain Catherine responded "I'd like to but I can stay in a hotel if its any trouble" standing in front of her Steve dipped his head down to give her a gentle but meaningful kiss, making clear he wanted her not only in his house but in his bed, "I've always slept best when your beside me"

Planning just to go to sleep, she had been on a 20 hour flight and he had been on a case for the last two days they soon fell back into their old rhythm, laying down next to each other the kissing started out slow and gentle before Steve rolled on top of Catherine, gentle to avoid putting any pressure on her stomach. Stripped of their clothes Steve marvelled at the slight bump in Catherine's belly, with out her clothes you could see that she was showing as the rest of her was so thin, Steve making a mental note to stock up on foods to ensure that after months spent in warzones she enjoyed some richer foods. Steve was so gentle with Catherine and didn't lose eye contact with her the whole time they made love. Pouring all of the emotion and stress of not only the day but the last few months since they had seen each other they filled each other and both reaching their climax once again declared their love for each other before sleeping soundly wrapped together.


	5. Chapter 5

Waking up slowly Catherine reached out for Steve, remembering how supportive and loving Steve was bought a huge smile to her face. Looking around she wondered where he was, she couldn't hear the shower on so after using the bathroom she went downstairs to see if he was out for a swim or doing breakfast. Coming down the stairs she noticed that his car was gone. Going back into the room to have a shower and get ready for the day he still wasn't back. Looking at the time she only had an hour before her appointment at Tripler. Finally she had to let in the fears she had been holding back since she woke up alone, not able to hold back the tears she thought that he had been called on a case, or didn't want to come she finished getting ready. Either way after everything they had been though she began to let the tears fall whilst putting all her bits back into her pack. She was so sad that he hadn't woken her to at least tell her he was leaving, but mostly just disappointed at the thought of going to her first scan alone. Finishing packing her bag she took it downstairs to grab some breakfast whilst calling a cab.

Sat out on the lanai waiting for the cab to take her to Tripler she had her bag with her as she didn't know if she would come back after. She was getting angrier and more disappointed the more she thought about it. It was ok for her not to take priority, but could he really not spare an hour to see a scan of their baby? She just didn't know if she could just come back here and be ok with him treating her like that.

Just as Steve pulled into the drive the taxi followed him in. In an all too familiar scene seeing Catherine and her bag sat ready to leave, every one of the insecurities he had managed to squash yesterday came to the surface.

Even before he was fully out of the car he was yelling at her in a way he never had before "Why are you leaving, you said we had five days, you couldn't even give me that before you leave like you always do. You won't take the baby away, you can't be a spy and a mum, I will go through the courts if I have to but I won't let you go off around the world with our baby. I was out breaking up with Lynn and getting everything for our trip and you couldn't even stay 24 hours, what about the scan, you need to check the baby is ok before you go off again." Running out of steam and seeing Catherine crying he stopped and just sat down on the step next to her not touching her or looking at her.

Quietly so Steve could barely hear her Catherine muttered "I thought you had got called on a case and wouldn't make the scan so I called a cab to take me to Tripler. I was angry you didn't want to see the baby so I didn't know if I would be able to stay here so I packed my bag"

Both of them realising they had got the other ones intentions wrong they shared a sad resigned smile.

"I guess we have more issues to work on than we realised" Steve said putting an arm around her, leaning over and giving her a kiss on the top of her head. "Is it ok if I ask the taxi to leave and I drive us?"

Giving him a wider but still sad smile Catherine responded with "I'd like that".

Paying the taxi driver to leave, Steve got a carton out of the car and passed it to Catherine "your favourite breakfast from Rainbow" He said with a shrug "I'm going to get a final few bits from the house for the trip, I thought we could head straight off if you're still up for it?"

Catherine nodded and Steve grabbed his pack from the house before putting Catherine's in too, opening the passenger door to let Catherine in, she stopped and reached up to give him a gentle kiss on the bottom of his jaw "I'm sorry Steve, I shouldn't of assumed you had chosen work over me and the baby". Leaning down to give her a proper kiss Steve cupped her cheek and after the kiss left his forehead on hers "I'm sorry I assumed you were leaving, let's just enjoy seeing the baby and we can work on trusting each other again later, ok?" This gentle kiss Catherine gave him her silent agreement.

They sat in an awkward silence for some of the drive which was unsettling for them both but as Catherine began to dig into her loco moco she broke the tension by reverting to their easy banter "I'd forgotten how good this is, it definitely knocks a couple of dinners off your tab Sailor" smiling and accepting the offered bite whilst not taking his eyes off the road he countered "really, I seem to remember you not thinking rainbow counts as dinner" "well if you want to whip out your tux again I wouldn't complain" sharing a smile at being able to move back into their rhythm there was an unspoken promise that they both wanted this and wanted to try to make it work. Steve squeezed Catherine's knee and they were able to settle into a much more comfortable silence.

Walking back to the car in a dazed silence Steve began to open Catherine's door before facing her, brushing a stray hair out of face before cupping her face with the same hand, Steve whispered, "that was unreal, I can't believe what you can see, how clear all the features are, I can't wait to meet him or her, thank you for letting me be part of all this, your amazing" before placing a gentle kiss on her lips. Steve then smiled looking at how giddy Catherine was, and it wasn't normally the way he would describe his bad-ass girl. "I couldn't do it without you Sailor, I love the baby already and I can't wait to do this with you". Placing a kiss on the top of her head before watching her climb into the truck Steve responded gently "me too Cath. Me too."


End file.
